


Hold Steady

by northofthehouse



Series: Real Good Lovin' [3]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Anxiety, First Dates, Fluff, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Lee Taeyong Needs a Hug, M/M, Romance, Roommates, Short & Sweet, Soft Lee Taeyong, Suh Youngho | Johnny is Whipped
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:20:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23946820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/northofthehouse/pseuds/northofthehouse
Summary: Johnny and Taeyong: Will they or won't they?(Of course they will.)
Relationships: Lee Taeyong/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Series: Real Good Lovin' [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1714942
Comments: 5
Kudos: 33





	Hold Steady

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy!

Johnny and Taeyong spend three hours sitting curled up together against their living room couch. They don’t talk much, but the quiet is good for soothing the rest of Taeyong’s anxious thoughts.

Every so often Johnny will move so he can press his lips against whatever new part of Taeyong is in reach, and Taeyong will softly sigh, letting his eyes flutter closed as Johnny worships him.

Taeyong, so desperate for Johnny’s love now that he knows Johnny’s offering it, can’t help reveling in Johnny’s affection. And Johnny, so sure that Taeyong could never want Johnny the way that Johnny’s wanted him, can’t quite believe that this is real.

Probably, they could spend all night like this.

Sometime around 7, though, when the sun begins to set and the corners of their apartment start to shadow in the twilight, Taeyong’s stomach grumbles. Johnny, his head pillowed on Taeyong’s thighs, turns his face to nip playfully at Taeyong’s belly.

“You hungry?” He asks. Taeyong can hear the smirk in Johnny’s tone and, in embarrassment, lifts the collar of the sweatshirt he’s wearing--Johnny’s, from his high school varsity track days--to hide his face.

Johnny just laughs, impossibly smitten, and says, “We’ll never talk if we stay here, Yong.” Then, gently, “You feel up to going out?”

The hidden mass under Johnny’s sweatshirt nods, and Johnny smiles at Taeyong, and pats his head.

Johnny doesn’t bother changing out of his work clothes, just leaves the living room briefly to use the bathroom. He’s not sure if Taeyong will want to change or if he’s okay going out in his tattered jeans and Johnny’s crew neck, so Johnny deliberately moves a little slower than usual to give Taeyong some time to compose himself.

When he’s done, Johnny walks through the living room to the entryway, bypassing Taeyong who has migrated to the couch and is bent in half, tying his shoes. Johnny grabs his own shoes, and both their coats, and, on second thought, the scarf Taeyong gave him for Christmas last year. He hovers in the doorway, happy to wait for as long as Taeyong needs, but then Taeyong’s stomach growls again, breaking the quiet tension, and they both laugh.

“Chinese?” Johnny suggests. There’s a place down the block from them that they order delivery from at least once a week, and Johnny’s hopeful that Taeyong will be more comfortable in a familiar environment.

Taeyong, still leaning over his shoes, hums his agreement. He stands up when he’s done but moves too fast and Johnny just barely manages to catch him by the arm before Taeyong goes sprawling across the room.

Tsking, Johnny tells Taeyong to be more careful, then spins the other boy around so he can slip Taeyong into his coat. Johnny pulls the coat closed then slowly buttons it from the bottom up. Finally, he wraps his own scarf around Taeyong’s neck and leans close to tuck in the ends.

“But it’s yours,” Taeyong tries to protest, his voice a whisper.

“Don’t want you getting sick,” Johnny says, as if it’s that simple. And, for him, when it comes to taking care of Taeyong, it is.

Taeyong huffs and raises an unimpressed eyebrow at him, then repeats the gesture later when they’ve made it outside and Johnny, clearly trying for casual and failing miserably, grabs Taeyong’s hand to entwine their fingers in the pocket of his coat.

“Oops,” Johnny deadpans, “I forgot our gloves. Darn.”

Taeyong giggles, nudging Johnny with his shoulder, and Johnny just smiles down at him, happy to see Taeyong laughing.

“You’re too pretty,” Johnny tells Taeyong, abruptly interrupting Taeyong’s laughter with his observation.

Taeyong groans and asks Johnny to stop being so cheesy. Johnny argues that he’s just being honest, and they’re still bickering about it when they arrive at the restaurant.

Johnny’s mama raised him right, so he opens the door for Taeyong. But Taeyong, equally well-raised, sticks his tongue out at Johnny for the chivalry and later insists on pulling out Johnny’s chair when the waitress seats them.

“An equal relationship is a good relationship,” Taeyong informs Johnny wisely.

Johnny tilts his head, considering. “Fine,” he agrees after a moment. “But a good hyung pays for dinner.”

Taeying sighs dramatically, faking exasperation. “We both know we stopped paying each other back for things literally ages ago,” he reminds Johnny. “I’ll get you back eventually.” He pauses, then smirks, “Next date.”

Johnny, not expecting Taeyong to flirt so obviously, chokes on his water in surprise.

Taeyong’s appropriately concerned while Johnny coughs and mutters that his drink went down the wrong pipe. Once he’s sure Johnny’s okay though, Taeyong jokes, “You’re not allowed to die on our first date.”

Johnny scoffs, his voice still a little hoarse. “If you think I’m going anywhere before I get you to agree to be my boyfriend, you’re delusional.”

At that, Taeyong flushes brightly, his coloring quickly changing to match the light pink of his hair.

“It’s nice to know I can still make you blush, Yong,” Johnny says fondly. “I was worried for a minute there, since you’ve stopped acknowledging me when I call you pretty.”

“You  _ always _ think I’m pretty,” Taeyong accuses, crossing his arms over his chest.

Johnny shrugs, like it’s not his fault that Taeyong is so ethereal that Johnny feels the need to comment on his beauty constantly. He considers saying this out loud, but Taeyong’s flustered enough as it is and they really do need to talk about this  _ thing _ between them.

“Yong,” Johnny ventures, feeling oddly vulnerable despite his complete confidence that Taeyong is just as interested in Johnny as Johnny is in him. “Do we--I mean, should we talk? We should talk, right?”

Immediately, Taeyong’s entire demeanor shifts from lightly embarrassed to deadly serious.

“You kissed me,” he reminds Johnny. As if Johnny could forget. “Without asking, I might add. Which you’re lucky for, because I was okay with it. But you can’t just kiss people without their permission, Johnny.”

Johnny, cowed, bows his head. “I don’t want to kiss anyone else,” he mumbles petulantly. “But I know,” he says, looking down and refusing to meet Taeyong’s eyes. “And I don’t think I ever said sorry for that. Especially cause I wasn’t sure you  _ would _ be okay with it. I was just being a hopeful, well, idiot, I guess.”

Taeyong’s answering smile is fond, though Johnny still won’t look at him and doesn’t see it.. “Thank you for your apology. And if you are an idiot--which, who isn’t, let’s be honest--you’re my idiot, okay?”

Johnny’s head pops up and his gaze settles on Taeyong with a surprising intensity. “Your idiot? Does that mean we’re dating? Are we boyfriends now?”

Taeyong winks, playing coy. “Well,” he teases, “you’ll have to ask me first.”

Johnny looks about ready to get down on one knee right there in the middle of their favorite chinese restaurant, so Taeyong takes pity on him and, laughing, says, before Johnny can ask, “Yes, Johnny, we’re boyfriends now.”

Johnny surges forward across the table, not caring about the tea he sloshes out of their mugs or the soup bowls that rattle on their plates at the sudden movement. Johnny cups Taeyong’s face in his hands and runs his thumbs gently across Taeyong’s cheekbones.

“Can I kiss you?” He murmurs, asking permission this time. Taeyong nods and leans forward so their faces meet halfway across the table.

“Always,” Taeyong says, his mouth brushing Johnny’s lightly as he pecks Johnny’s lips once, twice, a third time. “You can  _ always _ kiss me, Johnny.”

“Don’t give me blanket permission,” Johnny warns, when they hear a polite cough from behind Johnny and finally separate--though Johnny merely moves his hands from Taeyong’s cheeks to grasp Taeyong’s hands so they remain touching with their fingers entwined on top of the table.

“I’ll never be able to stop kissing you,” Johnny continues. “My pretty, pretty Yong.”

Taeyong flushes pink again, but he’s clearly pleased.

(Especially when they eventually make their way to the counter for Johnny to pay and their waitress squeals about how cute they are together.

And when Johnny opens the door for Taeyong again, grinning smugly.

And when Johnny takes Taeyong’s hand and holds it, and Taeyong, close their whole walk home.)

**Author's Note:**

> So, how'd we do? They're together and they're happy, and that's all there is to it...(or is it?)
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
